One Big Maine Camps Family

By Laurie the Campcierge™ What do you call it when directors from more than 30 premier overnight Maine summer camps get together to converse, collaborate, and share best practices?  The annual Maine Camp Experience (MCE) meeting, of course! The annual MCE fall meeting, held this year at the new AC Hotel Portland Downtown/Waterfront, gives us the chance to talk about how Maine is different and why camp is so special in Maine.  With every camp situated on a big, beautiful lake, and providing campers with activities, instruction, staff, facilities, traditions, and out-of-camp trips that are all top-notch, it’s no wonder that Maine is the natural choice for so many families looking for the best camp for their kids.  And, while each child attends a specific camp, they are all a part of a larger community and family of Maine camps. We also had the opportunity to spend time with our amazing business partners who help make Maine camps the gold standard.  Directors have dedicated time to see and select the best products and services for campers.  Categories include:  apparel, boats, building materials, camp management systems, counselor placement services, cuisine, equipment for sports and special events, and much more. And, pre- or post-meeting, many directors had a chance to do what they don’t do during the summer while they’re hard at work and very present at their camps . . . eat a delicious meal in Portland.  Just like camp parents, MCE camp directors enjoy Maine’s amazing cuisine in Portland (aka the “foodie capital of the northeast”) and cities and towns beyond.  During this time together, we enjoyed meals at favorites like Street and Co. and Eventide.  The environs surrounding Maine camps are just another benefit of the Maine Camp experience! So, while summer camp happens in the summer, Maine camp directors are busy the full year planning and organizing to provide the best activities, staff, and facilities for campers and staff who spend time at Maine camps each summer, and getting together is one key part of creating an incredible community of MCE camps. — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our  website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.